Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew

From Big Vegan Flavor by Nisha Vora.

Ingredients

Stew

• 1 cup (180 g) red lentils or split red lentils
• 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil of choice
• 2 medium red onions, finely diced
• Kosher salt
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Berbere Spice Blend (recipe below; or store-bought)
• 2½ cups (600 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
• ½ cup (8 g) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

For Serving

• Cooked brown rice
• Unsweetened coconut yogurt (optional)

Berbere Spice Blend (makes 4 to 5 tablespoons / 25 to 30 g)

• ¾ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1½ teaspoons coriander seeds
• 4 black or green cardamom pods, slightly cracked
• 3 allspice berries (or ¼ teaspoon ground)
• 2 whole cloves (or ⅛ teaspoon ground)
• 3 to 4 chiles de arbol (or other medium-hot dried red chiles)
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

1. Soak the lentils in cold water while you prep everything else. Then drain and rinse them until the water runs mostly clear.
2. In a large, deep sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until a bit browned, stirring occasionally, 6 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and ginger. Stir frequently for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and 1½ tablespoons of the berbere. Stir frequently for 2 minutes, adding a splash of water to prevent burning.
3. Pour in the broth to deglaze, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the lentils and 1½ teaspoons salt and stir to combine.
4. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the lentils are very soft and meld into the stew. For a creamier texture, run an immersion blender through a portion of the lentils.
5. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon berbere and the cilantro. Serve with rice and dollop the stew with yogurt, if desired.

Berbere Spice Blend

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, add the fenugreek seeds, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, allspice berries, and cloves. Cook, swirling the pan frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the chiles and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool. Crack open the cardamom pods to get the seeds; discard the shells.
2. Transfer the toasted spices to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Grind into a fine powder. Add the salt, paprika, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger (and ground allspice and cloves if you didn’t use the whole versions). Stir well. Store in a sealed jar in the pantry for up to 6 months.